DND_Reborn
The High Aldwin
Once again, thanks to all for the replies!
The party size is a factor, but I know our DM (and myself when I DM) create encounters meant to reflect easy-deadly for 6.5 PCs (one is a retainer). A good deadly encounter (such as the 3 dragons) can be hair-raising, which is great, but I do think the game (and thus encounters) are designed around full or near-full HP as @Paul Farquhar and others suggest.
I also agree with others that once you get to level 5, the dynamic shifts considerably. And a lot of our healing in our party is done after the fact. Healing kits (and the Healer feat), goodberries, or even a potion of healing generally tops PCs off (or close to it) in HP. We rarely need to resort to in-combat healing (with the only exception being really deadly encounters or strings of battles).
I know encounter design is part of it, but there is just something about it all that rubs me the wrong way... I'll have to think more on it.
The party size is a factor, but I know our DM (and myself when I DM) create encounters meant to reflect easy-deadly for 6.5 PCs (one is a retainer). A good deadly encounter (such as the 3 dragons) can be hair-raising, which is great, but I do think the game (and thus encounters) are designed around full or near-full HP as @Paul Farquhar and others suggest.
I also agree with others that once you get to level 5, the dynamic shifts considerably. And a lot of our healing in our party is done after the fact. Healing kits (and the Healer feat), goodberries, or even a potion of healing generally tops PCs off (or close to it) in HP. We rarely need to resort to in-combat healing (with the only exception being really deadly encounters or strings of battles).
I know encounter design is part of it, but there is just something about it all that rubs me the wrong way... I'll have to think more on it.